Concrete-mixer.



Patented Apr. 6

ill.

CHARLES H. VEN'AJ, @F APELE'EON, WSONSN.

CONCRETE-MIXER.

aisance.

Specification of Letters etent.

Patented Apr., 5, 1915.

Y Application med une 13, 191e. Serial No. 644,938.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES H. VINAL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Appleton, in the county of Outagamie and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Concrete-Mixers, of which the 'following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a concrete mixer in which the receptacle for the raw materials is suspended and is capable of scillation about an internal axis to cause the material to travel from one end thereof to the other and become thoroughly mixed, and which is also capable of being suspended by one end so that the mixed material may be discharged through a suitable, valved opening at the other end.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concrete mixer in the form of a drum or receptacle for materials capable of resting on the ground and having an opening in its upper part through which the materialsl may be introduced, said receptacle being adapted to be suspended by cables attached to both ends thereof so as to be elevated and carried horizontally from a place convenient for the introduction of the raw materials to the work where the mixed concrete is to be deposited, the drum being subjected t0 an oscillating action from end to end by a pull on first one suspending cable and then on the other during its travel from one place to the other so as 'to thoroughly mix the materials in transit, and then by the opening of the gate in the discharge spout end of the receptacle while the receptacle is suspended by means of the other end thereoi:l the mixing material may be directed into the building forms or other place of deposit.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the concrete mixer as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in the diderent views: Figure 1 is an elevation of a concrete mixer constructed in accordance with this invention, the inclined positions of the drum being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a side view of the drum resting on the ground with the suspending cables ready for attachment thereto; Fig. 3 is a view of the lower end of the drum when suspended for dumping and showing the dumping gate thereof;

Flig. f1 is a similar view partly sectioned at right angles to the direction of the view in Fig. 3; and, Fig. 5 is an end view of the drum.

In these drawings 10 indicates the mixing drum whlch is preferably of sheet metal with. an approximately cylindrical central portion and truncated conical end portions, one end being closed by a tight head and the other end provided with a funnel-like spout 11 closed by a suitable gate which will be later explained. At the ends of the drum are supporting feet by which the drum may stand on the ground in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2, the manner of forming the feet preerredOr the purpose consistlng of a strip of heavy band iron bent around and riveted to the ends of the drum with downwardly and outwardly projecting loop portions at either side of the drum forming the feet 12. rlhe central cylindrical portion of the drum is provided with a tilling opening 13 through which materials for produclng the concrete mixture are introduced, this opening being sufficiently large to permit of the sand 'and stone being shoveled into the drum.

Connecting eyes 14 are mounted on the ends of the drum at the uppermost portion of the metal bands forming the feet 12, and a pair of cables 15 and 16 which may be mounted in any suitable manner, as by passing over pulleys 17 on a horizontally swinging and sliding boom 18 of a derrick or crane 19, having hooks 20 on their ends for -engaging the connecting eyes 14 and these cables may be driven in any desirable manner as by hoisting drums, 15 and 16 respectively, so as to lift or lower both ends of the drum together or independently.

rlhe funnel-like' discharge spout 11 terminates in a tubular mouth 21 across which is secured a bolt 22 having a pair of levers 23 pivotally mounted thereon. The bottom of the mouth 21 is rounded to an arc shape with the bolt 22 as the center and angle iron arcshaped guides 24 are secured to the side edges of the mouth to form guideways between their inturned flanges and the said curved side edges of the mouth in which an arc-shaped sliding gate 25 travels. Ears 26 on the sliding gate 25 engage a bolt 27 connecting the lower ends of the pair of levers 23 and a bolt 28 connecting the upper ends of said levers constitutes a handle by means of which the sliding gate 25 may be opened or closed. A spring pressed bolt 29 is secured to the side of the drum and engages the handle 28 to lock the gate in its closed position. p

In operation the drum is supplied with the raw material, sand, cement, crushed rock and water or whatever desired, while resting on the ground as shown in Fig. 2, the material being introduced through the opening 13, and the quantity thereof being considerably less than the capacity of the drum. The hooks 20 of the cables are then engaged in the connecting eyes 14; and the cables are drawn up so as to lift the drum and the suspending means is moved to convey the drum to the desired location for the mixture. During the travel of the drum from the loading place to the dumping place one cable may be raised and lowered or both cables may be moved in opposite directions so as to give the drum an oscillation about a central axis causing it to be tilted from one end to the other successively and thus producing an agitation ofthe contents as they are thrown from one end of the drum to the other which will effect a complete mixture. On the arrival of the drum at the dumping place, which may be an open building form or other receptacle to-.receivethe mixture, the cable 15 is raised or the cable 16 lowered so as to suspend the drum with its spout end lowermost, the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The quantityof material supplied to the drum should not be suiiicient to overiow through the opening 13 in this position of the drum. By withdrawing the sliding bolt 29 the handle 28 may be grasped and thrown outwardly and downwardly to remove the sliding gate 25 from the mouth 21 of the spout and the concrete mixture will flow out of the drum through the spout and by means thereof it may be discharged exactly where it is desired.

By means of this invention there is no necessity for carting the material in wheelbarrows as with the stationary mixer,`for the drum or drums may be charged wherever the material is stored. It -is preferred to have several of the drums in use at the same time, one being conveyed and discharged while the others are being charged. Furthermore, the carting of the concrete mixture in wheelbarrows or other conveyers from the mixer to the place of deposit is avoided, the drum itself being conveyed di? rectly from the (place of storage of materials to the place of eposit and in the meantime by its oscillating motions effecting the mixture of the materials, and when arriving at the place of deposit the mixture is spouted directly from the drum through the open mouth thereof.

It is to be noted that one or more of the I 13 may be screened by the oscillations of thedrum as in mixing,.and the fine portions lof the material passing through the screen may be discharged through the spout 11, while the coarse portions remaining above the screen may be discharged through the other spout. This enables the drum to be utilized for separating the fine sand from the coarse sand for surfacing.

The free flow of the materials from one end of the drum to the other' may be interrupted 'by placing' bailie plates, bars or rods inside of the drum so positioned as to cause the materials to become quickly and thoroughly mixed.

The invention is not confined to the details of construction of the mechanical parts, asl these may be varied without departing from the .spirit and scope thereof, the essential feature of the invention being the operation of a concrete mixer by suspending and conveying the mixing drum from one place to another with an oscillating motion effecting the mixture. p

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A concrete mixer, comprising a drum, hoisting means at each end thereof, and separate means for voperatin each of the saidhoisting means indepen ently for giving the drum an oscillating motion that will tilt it from end to end.

2. A receptacle having a top and an end opening, the latter with aclosure, and separate means for raising and lowering said receptacle, said means being connected respectively with the ends of saidreceptacle.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. VINAL. Witnesses E. G. LADD, Enw. E. Soomz. 

